Consistometer



'Ill

.March 2, 1948' B. s. HARRINGTON coNsIsTOMETER iled May 3l. 1945 l Patented Mar. 2, 1948r Es PATEN T rfori-"ICE coNsr's'roMETEa Bertie S. Harringtom Chicago, Ill., :ts-signor to Armour and Company, Chicago, Ill., a corpora-f tion of Illinoisv Application May 31, 19m-sentirne. 596,964

8 Claims.

'I'hisfinventionfrelates, 'o a.` consistometeror vdevice Vfor. testing ory determining the,A consistv ency or body of a material, such as an .oil or fat, which thickens upon chilling. f

In the forming of certain products, as, for example, when an oil or fat is hydrogenated, it is important to determine what sort of body it has obtained and how it will behave in a baking mix. The determination of the usual constants, such .as an iodine number, etc., does not, how- I ever, provide this information and it is diilicult to obtain the infomation with accuracy. H

An object of the present invention is to provide means` for obtaining in areliable manner the consistency of an oil or fator any other liq-` (cl. 'z3-54) c .disc 2l is equipped with a pin 25 which engages the elongatedshaft 20 and raises it and llowers it during the rotation of disc 2l. The arm 20 is bifurcated and receives between the two parallel portions thereof the pin 25 so that upon rotation of 24, the pin positively moves the shaft and thereby the member I5 in the two directions Mounted upon the top wall of the tank I0 is a bracket 2I carrying the contact members 22 and 23. Wires lead from such 'members to the signal device 21 for actuation of the signal when the contacts are closed.

As a specic example of operation, the follow- Y ing is set out: Oil or .iat heated to a given temuid which has the property ofi-thickening upon' cooling or` chilling. A further object is toprovide an extremely simple machine which will indicate the data for determining the consistency of such a liquid and which requires 'a minimum of attention. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.y

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment by the accompanying drawing in which the single figure sets out inY vertical section, appatratus in which my invention may be carried ou f In the illustration given, Il) designates a tank 'y for providing a cooling or chilling ,-bath land is provided with inlet II and outlet I2. The top wall of the tank I0 is provided with an opening 'I3 adapted to loosely receive a glassctube I I.

Within the glass tube I4, I prefer to place a thermometer I5 which passes through a loose opening I 8 in the closure Il for theA tube. The thermometer I5 is fitted just above its mercury bulb with a. thick'sleeve I8 fixedly secured thereto, which may be of metal or other suitable Ina-- teria] and which has upon its lface longitudinal spiral slots I9, as indicated in the drawing. The sleeve diameter is a little less than the inside diameter of the glass tube. By having the slots I9 in an inclined or spiral arrangement, the fat within the tube is not channeled upon vertical movement of the sleeve.

Fixed to thel upper end of the thermometer is an arm 2D which extends to any mechanical actuator for raising and lowering it. The actu ator raises the thermometer so as to alternately immerse and withdraw the sleeve from theV oil in the tube at a uniform speed and length of stroke. One specific means for alternately rais.- ing and lowering the member is illustrated in the drawing as a circular disc 24 mounted `for rotation and driven by any suitable means. The

perature, such as 50 C., atv which the material is liquid, isplaced'in the glass tube Il which, by way of example, may beabout 5" in length :india/i" in diameter. The tank III is filled with a-bath of cold water at. say, 10 F. The actuator 2|! is set into operation :andalternately raises the thermometer and sleeve out kof the liquid and then immerses it at any desired speed, say, several times a minute. The -tu'be I4 and its contents are free to spin so that the oil is stirred but none lodges on the sides of the tube.v As the oil cools and its consistency increases, the tube and contents are lifted out of the bath by the frictional effect of the thermometer-and sleeve passing through the oil. When the tube is lifted sumciently high to engage the contact arm 22, as indicated by dotted lines in that other equivalents may be employed for set# lthe drawing, the contact is closed and a bell or 'othersignal rings and indicates the end point of the test.l .The temperature is now read and this valuefisused in comparison with that vobtained with astand'ard.v

The .above 4specific example is set out'merely Temperatures are relative be heated at :.all.

the cooling of a heated liquid or reduction' in temperature of an unheated material which is normallyeliquid. The dimensions of the glass y tube maybe varied widely, as desired. While I Y prefer to .have a thermometer serve as a means for reciprocating the sleeve, it'will be understood ting out thetemperature while utilizing a fric-` tion member for lifting the tube. The temperature reading ranges can be changed by variations in the temperature of the cooling bath and f .also in the design-"of the sleeve. The lengthor strokeof the thermometer may be varied con`- siderably from an extremely short movement. to

d parting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: l, A.device for determining` the consistency of materials, such as oils and fats, which when iny liquid form thicken, upon chilling. comprising a tank for containing a chilling medium, a tube for containing such liquid and adapted to be suspended in said medium, said tube being adapted to be reciprocated within said medium, a sleeve slidable within said tube, and means for reciprocating said sleeve Within said tube until upon the thickening of the liquid the tube moves with said sleeve a predetermined distance.

2. A device for determining the consistency of materials, such as oils and fats, which when in liquid form thicken upon chilling, comprising a tank for containing a chilling medium, a tube for containing such material in liquid form and adapted to be suspended in said medium for Vertical movement, a sleeve slidable within said tube, said sleeve having spiral slots therein, and means for reciprocating said sleeve within said tube whereby upon the thickening of the material the tube moves with said sleeve a predetermined distance, said last-mentioned means including means for indicating the temperature of the material upon the said movement of said tube.

3. A device for determining the consistency of liquids, such as oils and fats, which when in liquid form thicken upon chilling, comprising a tank for containing a chilling medium, a tube for containing such material in` liquid form and adapted to be suspended in said medium for vertical movement, a thermometer supported in said tube for reciprocable movement, a sleeve carried by said thermometer within said tube, and means for reciprocating said thermometer within said tube whereby upon the thickening of the liquid the tube moves with said sleeve.

4. A device for determining the consistency of liquids, such as oils and fats, which when in liquid form thicken upon chilling, comprising a tank for containing a chilling medium, a tube for containing such material in liquid form and adapted to be suspended in said medium for vertical movement, a thermometer supported in said tube for reciprocable movement, a sleeve carried by said theremometer within said tube, and means for reciprocating said thermometer within said tube whereby upon the thickening of the .liquid the tube moves with said sleeve, said sleeve having grooves extending between its upper and lower faces.

5. A device for determining the consistency of liquids, such as oils and fats. which when in liquid form thicken upon chilling, comprising a tank for containing a chilling medium, a tube for containing such material in liquid form and adapted to be suspended in said medium for vertical movement, a thermometer supported in said tube for reciprocable movement, a sleeve carried by said thermometer within said tube, means for reciprocating said thermometer within said tube whereby upon the thickening of the liquid the tube moves with said sleeve, and signal means actuated by the\raising of the tube for indicating the end of the test.

6. vA consistometer comprising a tank for containing a chilling medium having an opening in its upper wall, a tube extending into said tank through said opening and reciprocable therethrough, a closure for said tube having an opening therein, a thermometer reciprocable through the opening in said closure, a sleeve having slots therein xed to the lower portion of said thermometer, and means for raising and lowering said thermometer Within said tube.

7. A method for measuring the consistency of normally solid oils and fats, comprising heating the solid material to render it liquid, supporting the liquid in a movable tube within a chilling bath, reciprocating a friction member within the tube until the liquid thickens and the tube is lifted a predetermined distance, and determining the temperature Within the liquid at the instant 0f such movement of the tube. Q

8. A device for determining the consistency of materials, which when in liquid form thicken upon chilling, comprising a tank adapted to contain a chilling medium, a tube adapted to contain such liquid and to be suspended in said medium, a member slidable within said tube and having at least a portion thereof adjacent the walls of the tube, and means for reciprocating said member within said tube whereby upon the thickening of the liquid the tube moves with said member a predetermined distance.

\ BERTIE S, HARRINGTON.

REFERENCES crrrzn The following references are oi.' record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

